Through the Years
by YAXON
Summary: Warning: This is set in the Tale of Nagato Uzumaki Universe, so it's heavily AU from the canon-verse. Obito and Rin have known each other since their Academy days - here are a mere five snapshots of them as they progress from friendship to something more. Obito x Rin. One-shot.


**One-shot: Five Snapshots of Obito and Rin's Relationship through the Years**

 **Pre-Author's Note: This falls under my massive project known as The Tale of Nagato Uzumaki. I would have put this under the companion Omakes fic, but it didn't really fit there. That one's supposed to be for fun; this one… will hopefully have a more serious tone, not unlike the main fic.**

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 _Academy Years – Fresh Beginnings_

A raven-haired boy with orange goggles and a blue jacket with the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back stood behind a tree as he stared at a brunette that was giggling with a group of other girls as they were leaving the Academy grounds. A week into his Academy education, and already the boy was having troubles. Not with the academic work, mind you; that stuff was easy.

No, the raven-haired boy was having problems of a different nature. He wanted to desperately approach a girl that had helped him out when he had been late in signing up for the Academy. The brunette with the purple rectangular markings on her cheeks that made her look like an Inuzuka to a degree.

Obviously the girl was not an Inuzuka. Her name was Rin Nohara, as he had come to find out in passing. The boy had been attempting to approach Rin all week in order to properly thank her for helping him out, but she was always around kids that made fun of him more often than not. The boy was of the Uchiha Clan, but he was far from 'elite' like many other children that were around his age. He hadn't even awoken the Sharingan, and he was often teased or mocked for that.

Not that he let the jeering bother him. Well, at least not very much. The jabs hurt, but that didn't stop Obito from _trying_ to be cordial with his classmates. Obito preferred to have the moral high ground, after all.

But still Obito hesitated. What if the other girls had told Rin stories about him? The kind that would get in the way of building a friendship with her? That's why Obito preferred observing Rin from afar. This way, he could keep a consistent picture of the kind girl that Rin really was without getting shot down for trying to befriend her.

And then everything went to hell. Obito's eyes bugged out as the brunette made eye contact with him, despite his best attempts to remain unnoticed behind that tree. Her brown eyes held an innocence that seemed to convey she _hadn't_ been hearing any stories about him throughout their first week at the Academy, but that brought only mild relief to the young Uchiha. Still, there was something else in that stare that made Obito think she _knew_ he had been stalk… er… _following her around_ for the past week. It could not be considered stalking if all he wanted to do was thank her and be on his merry way. Nope.

Obito stiffened and looked like he would be making a break for it, but he just could not tear his eyes away. Deep down, Obito knew that was the incorrect response. Like… if he couldn't hold her gaze, that spoke lowly of his character. And Obito didn't want to give a wrong first impression, so he maintained eye contact even if every other part of him screamed to just run away, to try again another day.

So, somehow, some way, Obito managed to stay rooted in place until Rin had concluded her girl talk. As the other girls took their leave, Rin waved to them, and promptly made her way over to Obito when she was sure that they were gone. Obito had been both dreading and hoping for this moment all week long, but much to Obito's relief, Rin didn't appear mad or irritated that he'd been following her around all week.

She even seemed… _happy_ to finally get the chance to talk to him, if Obito dared to hope.

"Hey!" Rin grinned amicably as she stood a few feet away from him. "You're Obito, right? We met last week at registration."

Obito flushed in embarrassment as she brought that up. It was more like he had nearly missed registration, and she had saved a packet for him.

"Y-Yeah…" Obito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I wanted to thank you for that. I mean, you didn't even know me, and you saved a packet for me anyway…"

Rin's eyes seemed to twinkle with mirth as her smile never dropped.

"Maybe I didn't know you personally, but I'd heard about you." Rin even giggled a little at Obito's horrified expression, mistaking it for something else. "You're the guy that helps out the elderly all around the village, right? It's why you're always late for stuff."

Obito flushed again as he realized that was what she was talking about. He shouldn't have gone assuming things.

"Ehe… Yeah. But it's not my fault! I just wanna help 'em out 'cause no one else will!"

Rin held up her hands peaceably.

"I never said it was a bad thing," Rin assured him. "It really is admirable, though I do think you should put in a little more effort into being on time. I almost didn't convince those registration people that I needed an extra pamphlet for a friend; they were of the belief that you should have been there to get one yourself."

Obito blushed crimson at that revelation.

"We're… We're friends?" Obito asked hesitantly. He couldn't believe their first meeting was progressing this well.

Rin just winked at him.

"Well, yeah. Everyone needs a friend, right? I couldn't help but notice you don't have too many of those."

Obito's heart felt like it would burst from his chest at any moment. She wanted to be _friends_! With _him_! This had to be the best day of his life.

"Y-Y-Yeah! Thanks!" Obito laughed nervously as he tried to calm down. He didn't want to lose his first friend due to frayed nerves and the inability to control himself. Still, he couldn't help but be a ball of energy, excitement, and nerves all at once.

Meanwhile, Rin continued smiling serenely at Obito. She didn't want to say it to his face, but she _had_ heard some of her friends speak ill of him. But Rin Nohara didn't let others shape her opinions of people. Case in point: She was a civilian orphan. She didn't herald from a clan like the Hyuga, Inuzuka, or Uchiha, but she had the drive to become a kunoichi to defend her home and friends. And that was what really counted, wasn't it? Rin didn't need to rise to legendary status to be happy; she just wanted to become strong enough to protect what was really precious to her.

In the same way, Rin didn't put much stock into the rumors circulating about Obito. So he hadn't awoken the Sharingan yet, big deal. From what she'd observed from him during that first week, Obito had a similar drive and passion. Why couldn't they become friends?

And so, it was a fresh start for two aspiring shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.

 **Border**

 _Meet the Cousin – Another Excuse for Obito's Tardiness_

When Obito offhandedly remarked one day that helping out the elderly wasn't his only reason for being late all the time, it was only natural for Rin and Kakashi to be a little skeptical of the claim. Obito helping out the elderly was just another natural phenomenon; gravity kept them tethered to the earth, birds flew south for the winter, and Obito helped out old folks in retirement homes and elsewhere.

Which isn't to say they weren't being a bit close-minded about Obito's life outside of team training. Even Rin felt bashful that was all she believed Obito was doing when he kept them waiting, but that seemed to be the most common cause. Certain people just had this eccentricity that defined their character; Guy went on and on about Youth, and Obito helped Old Man Tanaka carry his groceries home.

So when Obito brought what looked to be a seven-year-old to training the next day, Rin and Kakashi looked properly chastened. Well, Rin appeared embarrassed; Kakashi just sent Obito an irritated glance, conveying to his teammate the sentiment that he was not amused. Minato-sensei was the exact opposite of that, as he knew all too well about Obito's fondness for his cousin… even if he tried to disguise it.

"This is Shisui," Obito said by way of explanation. He grinned at Kakashi. "And before you say anything, 'kashi, Shisui's already enrolled in the Academy and on the fast track to graduating. I promised him he could watch us train today. That's not gonna be a problem, is it?"

Kakashi's right eye twitched and he started counting to ten under his breath.

"You proved your point, Obito," Kakashi dryly replied, not rising to the bait. "But… Just what do you mean by 'fast-track'?"

Obito grinned wolfishly at Kakashi's wary tone.

"He's seven and already on track for graduating in a year or so." He chuckled at Kakashi's pale face. "Yup. We graduated at nine, so what's that say about you Mr. Prodigy?"

Obito might be insanely jealous of Shisui's apparent skills, but if there was one thing he loathed more than Shisui's good-naturedness about it all – really, who did the kid think he was foolin'? – it was Kakashi's arrogance. Rubbing Kakashi's face in the fact that his cousin was graduating a whole year before they did… there was something therapeutic about it. Obito would bask in Kakashi's misery for as long as he could!

"Obito…" Shisui sighed dejectedly and shook his head. His cousin was a good person, but sometimes he took a joke too far. He didn't even want to be a shinobi because of the expectations that came with being Kagami Uchiha's son, but he ultimately capitulated to his clan's wishes when he demonstrated he possessed such abundant natural skill. Shisui would become a shinobi on his own terms, though – if the current shinobi way was to kill enemies of the state, to kill off one's emotions and carry out missions without questioning orders, then he was going to give his all to change that. For him, for his father, and for Obito.

"Hi, I'm Rin," Rin beamed and extended her hand toward Shisui. "Don't mind Kakashi and Obito – they're always like this. If they become too overbearing, just let me know!"

Shisui stared up at Rin with curious eyes. So this was the girl that Obito liked… She seemed nice enough and would probably help him keep Obito in line. Obito meant well, but he could get carried away… a lot…

"N-Nice to meet you," Shisui blushed slightly as he realized he had just been staring at Rin for over a minute. He clasped her hand and shook it once, giving a small, shy smile as he did so. Shisui then took a seat under the shade of a tree and waited for Obito and Kakashi to quit their bickering.

Needless to say, Shisui was shocked when Minato appeared at his squabbling male students' sides in a flash and managed to break up the fight. For Team Minato, it was just another day in the life, but for a little boy like Shisui… It was extraordinary. He couldn't take his eyes off of Minato for a long time after that. Perhaps it was just sheer speed… but the idea for a technique was already creeping its way into Shisui's brain. He'd already heard and seen one Jutsu that could be _like_ what Minato performed, but if he could somehow tweak that Jutsu…

Shisui would not be forgetting this day.

Obito grumbled a little after Rin yanked on his ear slightly.

"Ow! Why do ya always have to take 'kashi's side, Rin?" The boy pouted at his friend.

Rin merely shook her head.

"I don't side with him _all_ the time. You started it this time," Rin answered. She flashed him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Obito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"'kashi was askin' for it!" Obito laughed lightly. "And it's okay. I only started watching out for Shisui recently. Kagami's not so old that he can't watch the kid himself, but he wants Shisui to have friends, so who am I to deny him that?"

Kakashi shot Obito a sour look.

"Wait. You don't mean Kagami Uchiha? Known for being apprenticed under the first two Hokage, along with Lord Third?"

Obito winced slightly.

"Uh… Maybe? I guess that little factoid kinda slipped my mind…"

Kakashi snorted derisively.

"Idiot… That would explain Shisui's purported prodigal skills…"

"Ehhh… Yeah, I guess it would." Obito mumbled. He looked toward Shisui with one eye. "Thing is, Shisui doesn't like being defined by his father… The clan kinda pampers the poor kid and simply _expects_ him to surpass his Old Man. But I bet you know that feeling all too well, don't ya, Kakashi?"

It was Kakashi's turn to look sheepish, and he looked away from the young Uchiha. Rin looked to Shisui in concern as Obito said this.

"Oh no… Is he okay?"

"You're probably exaggerating…" Kakashi scoffed softly, though he didn't sound very argumentative. Obito smirked at his teammate grimly.

"Oh, you'd be surprised, 'kashi…" Obito muttered. He thought to himself, _'I know all about Clan Expectations and what it's like to fail to meet those…'_ But out loud, he told Rin, "He's fine, Rin. Shisui doesn't want or need pity."

Rin stared at Obito incredulously, knowing full well the young Uchiha was aware she wasn't _pitying_ Shisui for his current circumstances… But she certainly felt concerned. They were all kids when you got down to it; no kid should have to live up to expectations set by adults, family or otherwise. Aspiring to do their best should be enough.

Shisui appeared to have been lost in his own little world for the duration of their talk, but that was only more cause for concern in Rin's book. Call it motherly instinct, or her 'inner nurse' at work, but Rin felt obliged to watch over Shisui, just like she was doing for Obito and Kakashi. It wouldn't do for an Academy student to overdo things, much less one of Obito's relatives and closest friends. Kakashi didn't feel nearly as attached to Obito's cousin, but he stopped complaining when Obito brought the kid around just to watch them train for a day occasionally. Minato never had any reservations to begin with, though he did have to wonder why Shisui stared at him so intently all the time.

And just like that, Shisui had wormed his way into the lives of Team Minato, no matter how small a role he played in the grand scheme of things.

 **Border**

 _Ever-changing Team Dynamics – Rin adjusts to being a Jinchuriki_

Things change. An overly used saying to be sure, but one that fit the current circumstances of Team Minato perfectly. Because no matter how well her boys tried to hide it, Rin could tell they were treating her differently right down to the tiniest mannerisms. Oh, her boys knew that she was still Rin Nohara… But now she had some Monster Turtle sealed away inside her. How exactly were they supposed to adjust to that? How was _she_ supposed to adjust to that?

They were never cold or unfriendly with her – that much Rin gave them credit for. But they would sometimes tiptoe around her when it came to training; again, understandable, as her new tenant forced Rin to rebuild her Chakra Control from the ground up, and she had to be careful in spars as Tailed Beast Chakra could spike to the surface without meaning to. What hurt the most, however, was their careful treatment of her _outside_ of training.

Surprisingly enough, it was not Kakashi that Rin felt the most wounded over. Oh, she still had some of that childhood crush on the silver-haired teenager, but those feelings were diminishing over time. Rin was coming to terms with the fact that he would not reciprocate her feelings anytime soon – if ever. He was opening up to the team more and more every day. But they were teammates. Friends. That was it. That was all they could hope to be at this point in time. Kakashi cared for her like a sister, and that was why he took more caution in his interactions with her outside of training; he was still adjusting to the concept of Jinchuriki, but he also made it quite clear that he still saw her as Rin Nohara, not some stranger wearing her face.

Minato-sensei was perhaps the most understanding, having a Jinchuriki for a girlfriend. The blond treated her as if nothing had ever changed, but he was a lot more open to meeting with her outside of training if she ever needed someone to lean on for support. He also made it quite clear that Kushina expected her to come around often; if not for Jinchuriki tips, then simply for companionship. Kushina had passed on the secret to subduing Tailed Beast influence, if Rin ever found the need to do so.

No, it was Obito's slightest changes in personality that affected Rin the most. And how could they not? Sure, they'd only known each other for a little over five years now, but they weren't simply _friends_ anymore. They were _best friends_. And best friends just didn't hide things from one another. Rin knew she could confide in Obito with anything she really needed to get off her chest, so why was Obito incapable of doing the same now? Whatever was eating away at him, Rin knew it was tearing him apart, and it was having an effect on their friendship no matter how much Obito insisted otherwise.

"I was helpless, Rin…" Obito said in a contrite voice once she got him to open up to her in private. "I don't know what I experienced, but I thought I had _lost_ you. You and Kakashi think otherwise, and that's all well and good for what you guys went through, but I witnessed Kakashi run a Chidori through your heart firsthand. Obviously that never really happened. I don't hold Kakashi accountable, and it's not your fault I saw something so… _wrong_. But… it's not easy, Rin. Some part of me deep down thinks you'd be safer if I…"

The sound of skin clapping loudly against skin rent the air. Obito fully turned to Rin, now bearing a red hand mark on his cheek. His shock melted away as Rin took a stern voice to him.

"You should have said something _sooner_." Rin emphasized as she placed her hands on her hips. Her facial features softened. "… Obito… Time and again, I've told you to stop trying to hide things from me. If you're hurt, I want to _help_ you, whether it's a cut, bruise, or emotional scar. No one expected our mission to turn out the way it did. No one expected all of us to come back _alive_. I just… I want us to go back to the way we were, okay? Can we do that? I know it's selfish on my part, and it's impossible to be perfectly unaffected by what we went through… But I _really_ need my best friend back. Please, Obito!"

Obito winced at the evident distress in her voice. He thought he'd been doing the right thing by distancing himself from her, but apparently he'd been dead wrong… again.

"I'm such a screw-up…" Obito visibly sagged slightly. He looked straight into Rin's pleading eyes. "Rin, I'm sorry you have to put up with me as a best friend… All I ever do is fuck things up. I'm sorry…"

Obito was cut off from whatever he was about to say by Rin enveloping him in a tight hug. He blushed slightly at the sudden intimacy between them, but he didn't resist it. Slowly, his arms snaked around her sides toward her back, returning her hug tenfold. The silence that ensued after the initiated hug became palpable after a while.

"It's okay…" Rin uttered quietly. She massaged his back slowly, soothingly. Her hand moved about in a wide circle. "For the record, you are _not_ a screw-up. Sometimes… Sometimes you stumble, but you _always_ find a way to right yourself again. Don't ever let others tell you otherwise."

"I make no promises," Obito joked half-heartedly, smiling somewhat bitterly. "I felt really broken when I thought you were dead… I don't think I'm indestructible as you think I am."

"I didn't say you were." Rin answered softly. She looked up into his eyes, and Obito swore, right into his soul. "But I'll always watch over you, even if I die, Obito."

Something in their relationship changed that day, though Obito couldn't really bring himself to believe it. To him, Rin would always be his childhood crush that was infatuated with their silver-haired teammate; and frankly, he was okay with that. They were best friends – Obito couldn't want anything more from her. Or so he thought…

 **Border**

 _Overcoming Grief – Slightly More than Best Friends_

The Nine-Tails had caught them by surprise, but thanks to Nagato Uzumaki, the death toll was considerably lower than it could have been. That didn't suddenly make everything okay… It didn't have to take hundreds or thousands of deaths to get them to grieve. Two deaths had particularly hit close to home. That was enough for the surviving members of Team Minato.

Of course, that had been about three years ago, now. Three years of frequent trips to the cemetery, with or without his team. Rin and Kakashi had found this harder to help Obito deal with, seeing as the death of their Sensei had all hit them pretty hard. That didn't make Obito's method of dealing with grief by living in the past justified per se, but it was _understandable_.

"I still can't believe they're… gone." Obito mumbled as the two stood before Minato-sensei's name on the big monument in the cemetery.

Obito had already made a stop by Kushina's grave to pay respects, but he couldn't do the same for Minato due to his body being buried in a secret cemetery reserved for Hokage only. Not just anyone could be privy to the location of that place; the common consensus among the populace was that Minato-sensei had been cremated… but that had not been the case. That illusion was in place moreso to protect his body from enemy nations and rogue shinobi.

Cremation would have been a lot safer, but… Lord Third was very sentimental, and wished to honor the dead as best as he could. That's why he chose to bury the bodies of his predecessors and successor.

And so this is where Rin had found her best friend when she came to check up on him after another long shift at the hospital. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the graves and monument. Rin clasped Obito's right hand in her left.

"We knew Sensei wouldn't go down easy," she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, her own mind dredging up memories she didn't necessarily want to dwell on too much. "All we can do is move forward, Obito. Sensei would not want us dwelling on his death, and neither would Kushina."

Obito shot her a wry grin. He knew why Rin was out here, but he wasn't ready to return to the village proper with her yet.

"You know darn well that I'm not gonna get over this for a long time. Losing Shisui and Kagami was one thing… But Minato-sensei? I never knew my dad, Rin, so I came to view Minato-sensei as a father figure. Hell, he _was_ my father for all intents and purposes. Kushina was a little scary from time to time, but I began seeing her as my mother, too! They even got married. I'm gonna be dealing with this in my own time, Rin. Don't worry."

Rin huffed in mild exasperation. Obito had been singing the same tune for three years straight – she could understand that he was grieving, but he was becoming dangerously obsessive about it all. Rin didn't like that. She turned to leave the cemetery, with him in tow.

"C'mon, you. Half an hour is long enough for one day." Rin lectured him. "You can't come back here whenever you have free time! I'm not the only one that wants to see you whenever you get back from one of your Anbu missions."

Obito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, which instilled some hope in Rin. If he could manage to fall back on old habits, then Obito wasn't going to be impossible to pry him from the monument today. Of course, her best friend was also accustomed to hiding his pain and discomfort behind a toothy smile, so maybe he wasn't completely all right.

But then again, thanks to Isobu, Rin was able to develop some small empathic ability. Obito didn't have too much going on below the surface, though there was _some_ emotional pain.

"Like I said, I can't promise anything. This… This is different from Shisui, Rin. You know my clan has a… history. We lose loved ones, and we gain fantastic powers because of how much that loss impacts us. I don't think there's any level beyond the Mangekyo, so it's not like I'll pull a Madara Uchiha on you guys. You don't have to worry about me."

They came to a stop at the entrance to the cemetery and Rin maneuvered him so they were facing each other. She poked a pointer finger into his chest.

"I will _always_ worry about you, Obito. Someone has to, and I think we both know I'm better suited to this task than Kakashi." Her eyes softened again. "Look. I know you can take care of yourself, but it's like I always say… Don't try to hide anything from me, I'm always watching you."

Obito threw his hands into the air in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay!" He laughed somewhat weakly. "I feel sufficiently talked to. Why don't we go relieve Kakashi from babysitting duty? He's probably stir-crazy already!"

Rin narrowed her eyes at his insistence that they move on. Clearly he was going to be stubborn about this, but that was okay… they both knew she could be stubborn, too.

But here's the thing. Ever since their heart-to-heart chat about the mission that led to Rin becoming the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki, nothing really happened in the short-term for their relationship. They were still best friends, but the thing is, that the line between friendship and an actual relationship? That line had been _blurring_. Obito felt both elated and worried about this turn of events, but he had let his worries consume him and prevent him from having the courage to move onto the next step with her. He didn't dare to hope that maybe, just maybe, his affection was reciprocated in that way. Obito had always seen her as Kakashi's girl, despite the fact he never gave her the time of day; she had adored Kakashi when they were in the Academy, and even when they were Genin. Obito didn't have the heart to take that opportunity away from her, no matter how small it may have seemed.

So naturally it came as a surprise when Rin planted a soft, delicate kiss on his lips right then and there. It was brief, but very memorable for the young Uchiha. Obito felt a shiver go down his spine as his body came to grips with the fact that _Rin Nohara_ had kissed him. _Rin_! Obito opened his mouth to try and say something, _anything_ , but no words would emerge. His mouth ran dry.

Rin could only smile at the dumbfounded look on his face.

"I knew that would take your mind off things," she beamed. Obito was still very much lost in his own little, incoherent world.

"I… you… Wha…?" Obito eventually found his voice. "How did you know…?"

"It took me a while to figure it out," Rin admitted freely. "But I did eventually work out you had feelings for me. I should have realized sooner, with how blatant you were about it… But I managed to fall for you all the same. You have a certain charm, Obito, and I like it."

"B-But what about Kakashi?" Obito stammered.

Rin shrugged.

"My feelings for you replaced that crush over time; it just took me this long to work it out. I knew my feelings for Kakashi were fading, but I didn't know why."

Obito stood stock still as he tried to process this revelation.

"I'm… going to need time to wrap my head around this." Obito said faintly as he massaged his temple. Rin could tell he was positively dazed with joy, however, so she wasn't offended. Rin took hold of his hand again.

"C'mon, let's go relieve Kakashi. You were right – he just doesn't do well with babies." She giggled as Obito became dumbstruck again. Rin knew things would be just fine now. Obito would be back to himself in no time.

Of course, things didn't go completely as planned; Obito left the Anbu shortly after Rin confessed to him, but he still made trips to the monument like he was addicted to it and would never fully stop going to it. But Rin kept him grounded. And Obito kept her uplifted, even as she was weighed down with the burden and stress of running the hospital. They clicked better than they could have hoped.

So maybe, just maybe, they were slightly more than best friends now.

 **Border**

 _To be Needed_

The atmosphere was grim. Rin and various medical-nin that would be tagging along rushed about as they gathered necessary supplies for the procedures ahead of them. Asuma had been poisoned, according to Lord Hokage. Rin hadn't been fully briefed because of the direness of the situation, but she didn't need to. Asuma was one of her closest friends – Rin could not allow him to die.

And then there was the matter of his Genin. Apparently, young Ino and Kiba had managed to go relatively unscathed on the mission, but Sasuke might require medical attention as well. That's why she would need as many experienced medics as she could bring along. That's why Kabuto Yakushi was coming; he was on the verge of becoming a Jonin like her, and he had this innate skill for Medical Ninjutsu. He wasn't as talented as Tsunade – hell, _she_ didn't come close to Tsunade's level – but the teenager tended to pick things up very quickly.

Rin would be relying on him to handle the other mortally wounded victim, a Hidden Sand Jonin named Baki. If things went well enough with Asuma and/or Baki, then they would move onto Sasuke, who was in a slightly more stable condition, according to a report from the Kazekage.

Yet worrying about this now wouldn't help anyone. Rin needed to focus on final preparations; it wouldn't do to forget something and make Obito come back to retrieve it. He overused that Mangekyo Sharingan enough things currently stood.

A few moments after Rin thought this, a swirling vortex appeared close to her location. Speak of the devil. Obito landed in a crouch and then stood up to his full height.

"You guys about ready to move out?" Obito questioned her quietly so as to not disturb the preparations of the others.

Rin was putting the final medical supplies she believed she would need into her bulky backpack as he posed this question. She looked to her fellow medical ninja as she did so.

"Just about. Are you sure you're up for this? I know Tenzo makes things easier for you, but… Your eyesight _is_ fading, even if it's at a slower pace than it would be without his help."

Obito shot her a reassuring grin.

"I'll be fine, Rin. I think you have more important things to worry about than my eyesight right now; you can always worry about it later, after you save Asuma and Sasuke."

"After _we_ save Asuma and Sasuke," Rin corrected him off-handedly, sealing her backpack shut as she did so. She looked him directly in the eye, and as usual he could never bring himself to look away. "It's thanks to you we'll have enough time to save them. We simply wouldn't make it in time on foot."

Obito ran his hand through his hair as he nodded in acknowledgement of her point.

"Mmm. But you will be handling the touch-and-go stuff, so it'll be _mostly_ thanks to you that they'll be saved. Don't go giving me too much credit."

Rin huffed at his point; she didn't like him downplaying his role. But now was not the time to argue. They would be having words when they got back, though.

"All right, everyone! We're moving out to the Hidden Sand. I'll go over specific procedures when we have a clearer picture of the situation – be vigilant and do your best!" Rin announced to the medical team as they all gathered around Obito and Rin. They were all determined, and that was all Rin could really ask for.

It was no longer just a case of Obito and Rin needing each other – now they were being called on to save others. Friends that they treasured. Allies that were crucial in these turbulent times. But the two were ready for that; they had long since ceased being the Academy kids that aspired to become shinobi that would make a difference. That time had come, and they would take hold of that opportunity with both hands.

One swirling vortex later, and they were off…

 **Post-Author's Note:**

 **So! I hope you guys enjoyed that. This was done to give more background on Obito and Rin, who I haven't really touched too much on in the TToNU-verse. But more importantly, it's just my first contribution to my 8-year anniversary celebration. Weird year to celebrate an anniversary on, but… 8 happens to be my favorite number, so I couldn't help myself. :D**

 **I wanna get two more fanfics out tomorrow… today? October 3** **rd** **. Meh. But anyway – the other two contributions won't be Naruto-related, so this is all you Naruto fans are getting from me today, but I put my all into writing this one. This fits into the TToNU-verse, as I said; about the only reason I didn't include this in the main fic was because I didn't want to get your hopes up about that one yet. I'm still in the process of writing the next chapter. Ironically, this is longer than what I currently have written up for the next chapter, but it is coming along.**

 **I might have to pause my writing to deal with a hectic week of school this coming week, but I will be posting that update this month, hopefully. R &R as you see fit! Ja ne! ^^**

 **Note: I did tweak the fourth snapshot a little; Duesal Bladesinger made a good point about it, so I did my best to change its context a little. I _think_ it flows better now, but you'll have to be the judge of that. If it still feels weird or out of place, let me know!**


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